A Few Highlights From the last few weeks!

Life seems to just be moving along! Time flies by and before you know it, you have not put up a new post and you just know that all your faithful blog readers are cursing you! Of course I am kidding, but really nothing but the usual has been happening around here. I'll make a list of what we have been doing.

Steve
Working
Sleeping
Working
Taking Ty to Baseball
Sleeping

Heather
Sleeping
Waking up at 6 because Josh did
Taking Ty to school
Driving the PreSchool Car Pool
Working out
Doing Laundry
Cleaning
Going to Baseball Games or practice
Dealing with 2 year old Tantrums

Tyler
School
Homework
Reading
Baseball
Sleeping

Brooklynn
PreSchool
Going With Me Everywhere
Talking
Talking
Talking
Playing with Friends
Sleeping

Joshua
Waking up at 6 or earlier to torture his mother
Playing with Guys
Making us Laugh
Napping
Having a Tantrum
Bothering Ty and Brooklynn
Sleeping (but still waking up at 6 to torment his mother)

That gives you a brief overview of the daily activities.

We are half way through Baseball Season! Tyler is really starting to get it and hitting the ball and really having fun. He and Steve have spent many an hour at the park and after practice to work on his skills. It has been fun to watch him, although for Brooklynn it is torture!

Brooklynn is so ready for Kindergarden and actually has her 'evaluation' next week. She gets to go meet with one of the teachers and they will ask her some questions to kind of figure out where she is and then they try to make the classes an even split of all the kids abilities. A funny little story the other morning before Brooklynn left for school the phone rang. I answered the phone and it was Brooklynn's friend Taylie, she says, "Has Brooklynn left for school yet?" (Taylie is in the car pool too). I say, "No" She says, "Can I talk to her." I say, "Sure" After putting her on speaker she and Brooklynn have this conversation. Taylie, "Hi Brooklynn, Are you wearing your Crocks to school today?" Brooklynn, "Yes, are you?" Taylie, "Oh good me too!" Seriously folks it has started already and she is only five. HaHa, it gave me a good laugh.

Josh continues to say more and more, this week the newest words are Base, as in Baseball, but he still says 'baball' at least we can say base. And my new favorite is 'ShooShoo' as in ChooChoo, as in Train. It is super cute. We just had a good conversation while getting him ready for bed. He was talking all crazy and being a nut and I said, "You're a weirdo!" Josh said, "No I not" Yeah, he can say a 3 word sentence!!!! WoooHoooo!

The yummy treat of a Fudgesicle, thank heavens I put him in the highchairBrooklynn at a Baseball gameTyler getting a hit.

Josh in his big boy bed sleeping

Sorry People I can't get that video to post right side up. It is on my computer right side up and it just does not want to cooperate, so sorry for the sideways video!

I'm an Auntie - Again!

Alright, honestly I can't tell you what number this one is, but for those of you who know Steve's sister Kari, she and Jason and Jakey just welcomed baby number 2 into their family. You can go to their link to see some pictures of Maggie Kay Symons. She is super cute. Congrats you guys, we love you!

I think she is my 11th neice on the Empey side. But nobody hate me if I counted wrong.

A Conversation With Tater (Josh)! and some updates.

Tonight while we were getting ready to have family prayer, Brooklynn for some reason started asking about Tiger Woods and when he would play next. Yes, in case you are wondering, we do watch a little golf at our house. We told her that he wouldn't be playing for a while because he had hurt his knee and had surgery, the following conversation came from that exchange.

Brook: "Ohhh, I like Tiger!"
Tater: "I do, a Giger!" (meaning I like Tiger)
Me: Wondering if he really knew what we were talking about asked, "What does Tiger play?"
Tater: A Gock (Golf)
Daddy: Show us your swing

So, of course he did. I couldn't believe it, how did he figure that one out. I knew he didn't miss much, but even that surprised me!!!

Okay, if that sounded like the obnoxious bragging mom, sorry, but it was so cute!

I am so looking forward to more of these conversations with him as he says more and more.

As a side note, he is also officially a big boy and not a baby anymore. Although I still call him my baby. Last Wednesday I put him down for a nap and he was very upset, to say the least. We have been battling naps for about a month, not that he didn't need one, just that he didn't want one in his crib, any other bed was fine. I was busy trying to clean out my closet and re-organize, declutter, all of that good spring time purging stuff and I heard his bedroom door open a little and then close. I hollored at Ty thinking he had gone in there. With no response from Ty I realized it was Josh and he had climbed out of his crib. He had been caught quite a few nights trying to hoist a leg over the railing, but had not climbed out. He was very upset when I went in and busted him, it was cute how sad he was that he was in big trouble! Well, after that I thought why prolong it and I took the crib down and put the twin bed up. He is so little in that big bed, but after a week he is doing great. My only complaint is that he wakes up too early, but he did that anyway. Wow, how time flies!

We also had Nana come for a few days this past week. It was so fun to have her here. The kids love it and had a great time reading with her, playing memory (your favorite, right Nana) and for Brookie, shopping. Nana, was also able to attend one of Ty's Baseball games and came just in time for some 94 degree weather. It was a great weekend and I do have a few pictures that I will have to post later.

One more Post, this time it is about Josh.

Josh is finally starting to say more and more understandable words. With Ty and Brooks being early talkers, it has been mildly frustrating trying to decipher Josh's own special language. He has been using lots of grunts and throaty sounds and all of a sudden he is getting it! For weeks Tyler and Brooklynn have both been 'Gong' I'm not sure why, but it worked for him and he stuck to it. We have really been trying to get him to say TyTy and finally he has come up with his own version - "GyGuy" close right? Wrong consonent but I'll take it. Yesterday I said, say Brook and he did, mind you he still calls her 'Gong,' but the big thing is he can say it. Please has been a big one for the longest time he just smiled and said, 'eeeeeeee,' we are finally making progress because as of three days ago he say 'Peazz' but it sounds more like Bees. In fact, Steve started asking him, What makes honey? and he says, 'Peazz' I love it, it is so cute.

He has also mastered the following list of words, we'll go in order of favorites.

Mama, mama - grabbing my face and turning it towards him and again, MaMa
PutBAll (Football)
BaBAll (baseball)
Mitt (as in baseball)
Bat (as in baseball, can you tell there is a theme here)
Hat (as in baseball, or a football helmet)
Kick
A Shoot
Peazz (as explained above)
Ya
No
Cocko (Choco)
Jooose (Juice)
Mook (Milk)
Blue
Red
Purple
Wawoo (yellow)
Two
Six
Nine
Dog
Turtooo (turtle, I partically love this one because his mouth is so cute when he says it)
Browm (Brown)

Okay, so there is a small sampling of Joshy lingo - He is cute and fun and frustrating and we just can't help but love him! AND THANK HEAVENS HE CAN SAY SOME UNDERSTANDABLE WORDS!!!

Spring!

One of my favorite things to happen every year is when the trees and flowers start to bloom. That seems to happen much earlier for us and while you people still in the snow are jealous, don't worry because when we hit our 110 degree plus weather, most of you will be enjoying much more pleasant temps. Two years ago the kids and Steve went and picked and planted a beautiful rose Tree. The name of it is 'First Prize' so that is what we call it at our house. I love every year when it blooms, so here are a few pictures of it for you all to enjoy.

Have you ever had?

Julie told me I needed to post about this because it is one of those random funny things that is totally out of your control.

Have you ever had one of those little zits, pimples, blemishes, whatever you choose to call it, on your eyelid, right under your eyebrow? Everyonce in a while I get them too. Well, on Saturday I felt a little one brewing and before I went to bed gave it a little sqeeze (because I can't resist, I know sick) and it popped. No biggie right. I thought great tomorrow it will be all gone. Boy let me tell you was I ever wrong. I woke up Sunday morning and it was still there and my eyelid was swollen. So after some Ibuprofen and some ice, yesterday I am happy to say it is still swollen, I can only open my eye about half way. I have never had a zit go so crazy on me and as Steve put it when he woke up yesterday morning, "You look like you got punched in the eye!" Well, that is true, minus any bruising. It is most ridiculous and I feel silly going anywhere. I took a picture and really is doesn't do it justice, but this is for you Julie!

Some Random Stuff

Since I haven't been very good a posting as of late, I thought I would throw in a few random things that we have been up to in the last couple of weeks. I mentioned before (in an earlier post) that I was in Utah, for all of you that I did not contact while there, in my defense I was there for only 48 hours. Just a quick trip, but here are a few pics for you.

Next are a few shots of my kids in their Easter clothes, I really tried to get a picture of all of them together, but alas, Josh was being his two year old self and would have none of it!!! They all looked really cute!!

Finally, and to Ty most importantly Baseball is back baby. This year Ty in thankfully not in T-Ball. He has graduated to machine pitch. They still don't have set positions and are still just getting the fell of the game, but he has fun and it keeps him busy. He in on the Angels this year and is most excited. We had opening day and then his first game was last Wednesday. He played pretty well and even hit a few off the pitching machine. We are excited that Nana is going to come and see one of his games this week. It will be so fun!!!

Boy is he ever handsome!

The Bobble Head?

When I was in Utah a few weeks ago I got a cute video clip of Reece. She is such a cute sweet little thing and she does this Dance/Head Bobble thing that is soooo funny! She only does it for a second at the beginning, but it is dang cute so enjoy!